Circular knitting machine



NOV. 10, 1931. c. H R 1,831,773

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE d p 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 10, 1931. c. HILSCHER 1,831,773

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE File Sept- 15. 1926 s Sheets-sheaf 2 fig. 79. /7g. 20.

Nov. 10, 1931. c. HILSCHER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 55 Filed Sept. 13. 1926 Nov. 10, 19310 g HlLscHER cmcumm KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Novu 10, 1931;. sgggza 11 831 773 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE k File Sep'b- 1 1926 6 sheets sheet 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept.

Patented Nov. 10, 1931 CUR'I HILSCHER, F GHEMNITZ, GERMANY cmcumn. KNITTING mcnm'n Application filed September 13, 1926, Serial No. 185,231, and in Germany February 19, 1926.

The present invention relates to an im: provement in circular knitting machines more particularly adapted for the production of a complete stocking having characteristics of a full fashioned stocking. One object thereof has been to provide a machine with which a. fashioned stocking of improved quality may be produced automatically with loops of uni form size on a single circular machine, as

0 compared to well known methods whereby full fashioned hosiery is commonly made on two flat machines, namely, a legger and a footer, or whereby seamless stockings are made on a circular machine with fullness of the legportion produced by loose knitting or large loops and with snugness of the ankle portion loops.

In some respects the stocking made by the use of my improved apparatus is similar to that illustrated and described in United States patent to Bosworth No. 1,459,497. One important difference is that the stocking made according to my invention is produced Without the floating yarns which occur in the Bosworth stocking in the production of the heel portions and the toe portions of Figure 2 thereof.

A machine embodying my invention involves chiefly various improvements over the circular knitting machines of well known produced by tight knitting orsmall types, such, for example, as that shown and described in Bosworth No. 1,149,714. One.

feature of my invention relates to thenovel' construction and arrangement of the needles, cams, pickers and control devices therefor whereby I am able to make on a circular machine a full fashioned stocking having the ,0 characteristic narrowing and widening in the the heel portion without producing floating yarnsi." 111 this respect, the product of my machine resembles more closely the product of the typical flat hosiery frame, but with the advantage in my machine that the stocking blank is readily produced in a single c0ntinuj ous operation on one machine.

Further features of my lnvention relate to a novel form of narrowing finger and to novel means for actuating and controlling the knittoe portion and narrowing and widening in,

ting cams in such a way as to eliminate some of the difliculties heretofore experienced in attempting to produce full fashioned hosiery on a circular machine. p

, A preferred embodiment of my invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings accompanying the present specification and in which i Y Figure 1 is a view showing an interior development of the knitting cams, needle butts 0 and needle positioning devices arranged in the relative positions which they occupy at the beginning of knitting of the raveling courses preliminary to the knitting of the toe portion of thestocking blank;

Fi re 2, a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the relative positions of the parts during knitting of the toe of a stocking;

Figure 3, a similar view showing the relative positions of the parts during knitting of the heel pieces of a stocking;

Figure 4, a similar view showingthe relative positions of the parts after knitting of the ankle portion and with the group 1 needles in position to be successively brought into operation to form the widened calf portion.

Figure 5, asimilar view showing the relative positions of the parts at the end of the last course of knitting of the calf portion of the leg of }a stocking and at the end of a movement of the needle cylinder toward the right; Y

Figure 6, a diagrammatic planvof the arrangement of needles in theneedle cylinder 35 adapted to cooperate with the needle actuating and positioning instriimentalities shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive to produce a stocking of the kind'described Figure 7, a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement .of'partsfor automatically moving the needle lifter carrieror slider toward and away from the needle cylinder;

7 Figure 8, adiagrammatic view representing typical pain actuating )means operated from a pattern drum and cooperating with one cam of a number which are adapted to be alctuated by similar means; i

Figure 9, a diagrammatic representation of means for moving knitting cams into and .ing

out of operative position in relation to the needle butts both during single courses and during changes from the knitting of one portion of the stocking to the knitting of another;

Figure. 9a, a diagrammatic side view of the knitting cam actuating devices illustrated in Figure 9;

Figure 10, a diagrammatic view of means for alternately moving the narrowing fingers into and out of operative butt picking position during a single course and for moving and retaining said fingers out of operative position during knitting of portions which require no narrowing;

Figure 11, a diagrammatic side view showing further details of the mechanism for movthe narrowing fingers into and out of operative position and for controlling operation of the thread guides while supplying thread to the needles in groups 2 and 2' shown in Figure 6;

Figure 11a, a diagrammatic fragmentary view of the cam and cam roller assembly shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12, a plan view of cams on the needle cylinder for cooperating with the thread guides;

Figure 13, a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement of apparatus for periodically moving a widening finger into and out of operative position in relation to the needle butts; A

Figure 14, a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 13;

Figure 15, a diagrammatic view partly in section and partly in plan of the apparatus shown in Figure 8;

Figure 16, a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 7 Figure 17, a longitudinal sectionof a typical needle cylinder rhowing the arrangement of a cam thereon adapted to cooperate with devices illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive for actuating the needle lifter mounted on the slider shown in Figure 7 Figure 18, fragmentary details illustrating the construction of the butt engaging end of the widening finger shown in Figures 13 and 14;

Figure 19, a diagrammatic view of one form of stocking which can be knitted by my improved knitting machine;

Figure 20, a modified form of stocking adapted tobe knitted by my stocking machine;

Figure 21, a composite figure illustrating in side elevation-typical needles of the groups 1, 2, 2' and 3 respectively indicated diagrammatically in Figure 6; I

Figure 22, a detail side view of the widening finger shown in Figures 13, 14 and 18;

Figure 23, a rear elevation of a machine embodying the details of construction shown 03, in the preceding figures;

to rotate continuouslyin one .also have large terminal Figure 24. a side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 23; and 4 Figure 25, a top plan view of the machine shown in Figures 23 and 24.

The article to be produced on my improved circular knitting machine is a stocking comprising a toe portion, a foot, .t-wo heel portions, an ankle portion, a calf portion, and the upper leg portion. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, all of these portions except the upper leg portion, are formed initially as a divided or, in eflect, fist fabric having selvage edges which are later sewed together to form the completed stocking. However, the upper leg portion, being knitted during circular motion of the machine, is tubular and therefore requires no subsequent seaming operation.

My improved circular knitting machine comprises in general a needle cylinder. .as 44, Figure 11, provided with the four groups of needles 1, 2, 2' and 3, positioned substantially as indicated in Figure 6. This cyl inder is actuated by any suitable well known mechanism for the purpose, not shown, either direction or to reciprocate in accordance with well known circular knitting machine construction, depending upon the part of the stocking to be knitted at any given time. In my improved machine, during knitting of the toe, foot, heel, ankle and calf. the needle cylinder reciprocates; and on each reciprocation, moves through a complete revolution plus an overrun in excess thereof aggregating, in the i'llustrated machine, five fourths revolutions, or 450. During knitting of the upper leg portion, the needle cylinder rotates continuously in one direction.

The needles of group 1, Figuresfi and 21, have relatively high butts, those of group 3 have low butts, and the needles in groups 2 and 2 have butts of medium height. t will be noted that the needles of group 3 butts a: the purpose of which will be later-explained in connection with the positioning of the needles 3 prior to knitting of the heel pieces.

My improved machine is also provided with the usual work or knitting cams 4,5, 6 and 7 arranged in conventional relation to the path ofthe needle butts. Also, as indicated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, 1 provide additional needle positioning cams '8,

9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. the several functionsof which will be more specifically set forth.

The moving of position in relation to the work cams at the last quarter or over-run of each course in the knitting of the calf portion is conveniently efl'ected by means of needle lifters 18 and 18', Figure 5. mounted on carriers '-or slides 17 and 17 Figures 7 and-.16, and cooperating with a cam 16 0n the needle cylinder 44 in a manner and fon'a purpose to needles 1 to inoperative tion of the formation of said calf portion.

My improvedmachine includes narrowing fingers 34 and 34, Figures 10 and 11, 11 ch are operated in a special manner during narrowing of the heel pieces of the stocking.

I also provide a widening linger 76, Figures 13, 14, 18 and 22. having a specially shaped terminal portion presenting different butt engaging steps 74 and and cooperating with actuating means adapted to bring said widening finger into and out of operation in proper relation to the needles, one of said steps, as 7 4, being adapted to engage a single needle of group 1, during widening of the calf, and the other of said steps, as 75, being adapted to engage two needles of groups 2 and 2 during heel piece widening.

In so far as the devices thus far identified require to be moved into and out of operative position in relation to the needle butts, I effect the desired results in part by means including a pattern drum 29 having a normal surface upon which is mounted aplurality of wedges 0r wedge shaped cams each of which is positioned in relation to other instrumentalities and adapted to produce a .predetermined effect at a. predetermined time or at predetermined intervals. The pattern drum is awell known expedient in this as well as other arts for'controlling or effecting periodic changes.

In my machine, the drum 29 is utilized in a novel manner to effect changes in the arrangement of or to adjust the parts for producing or knitting different portions of the stocking. I also provide additional con-- trol mechanism including a cam disc 35-, Figures 10 and 11, for example, whereby at certain parts of the knitting I control or effect periodically repeated changes in the actuation of parts of the knitting instrumentalities during each reciprocating movement of the needle cylinder. Thus, as will be more fully explained, the narrowing fingers 34 and 34' have a, special butt actuating movement effected by means of cams 36 mounted on said cam disc 35. Similarly, the widening finger 76 has a special butt actuating movement effected by means of cams 77 also mounted on said cam disc 35, Figure 13. A further special control other than that from drum 29 is "illustrated iii-@Figure 12 wherein I show cam sectors 51 and 52 on the needle cylinder 44 which control the operation of" thread guides 48 and 48' during knitting-of the heel portions on needle groups 2 and 2', also to be described in greater detail.

- Another special control or change mechanism is shown in Figures 9 and Set. As illustrated therein, a sector 24 imparts reciprocatory motion tothe needle cylinder 44 and cooperates with said cylinder and with. the usual driving mechanism in a well known 1. manner; but it is also utilized in my machine to effect to-and-from movement of the working cams to intermittently prevent them from engaging and actuating'certain of the needles during reciprocating movement of the needle cylinder.

Having enumerated the more important and distinctive parts of my improved circular knitting machine, I will now explain the operation thereof by describing in sequence the knitting of the different portions of a stocking blank, for example, such as that shown in Figure 19.

Knitting the toe courses The toe of the stocking shown in Figure 19 is knitted on the needles of group 3 during reciprocating motion of needle cylinder 4:4 and while the needles of groups 2, 2 and 1 remain inoperative. According to known practice, a few ,raveling courses are formed prior to the knitting of the toe courses proper, after which the usual narrowing and widening to form the toe pocket takes place by operat-ion of the well known instrumentalities for such purpose. However, during reciprocating motion, the needle cylinder hasan overrun, i.- e. moves through five-fourths revolutions or 450 in each direction; and, unless some means were employed to prevent it, the butts of needles 3 would becarried twice across the knitting cams in each direction of motion of said cylinder. Accordingly, I

mount the working cams 4, 5, 6 and 7 on the cam carrier or slider 23, Figure 9, which is periodically withdrawn from butt engaging or extended. position during the over-run, or approximately the last 90 of'movement of the needle cylinder in each direction, except while knitting the calf portion, during which operation a different device is employed for a similar purpose.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, slider 23 is engaged by the upper or frceend of lever 30, the lower end of which carries a cam'roller 26 slidably mounted thereon and thus adjustable vertically into and out ofthe-pa-th of cams 25 and 25 on the reciprocating rocking sector 24.. In the drawings, the roller 26 is shown out of operative position, or as it is when the machine is in circular operation. Ho'wever,when reciprocating knitting begins, i. eat the first raveling course on rice dles of groups 3, 2 and 2 ,'for example, the cam 31 on pattern drum 29 moves out from under the forward end 33 of lever'27 piv-v ures 3,8 an 15,

of rotation of the needle cylinder in each direction and until cam 31 again moves under the end of lever 27. Said cam is positioned. and timed to return roller 26 into inoperative or lowered position just beforethe needles of group 1 are moved successively'into operative knitting position by the widening finger, as hereinafter described .in connection with knitting of the calf portion.

Knitting the foot portion When the toe has been knitted, the cam 11, Figure 2, is moved inwardly toward the needle cylinder by well known means operating from the pattern drum 29, of the type shown in Figure 8 for actuating cam 14, for example, so that the butts of the needles 2 and 2 may be engagedand lowered'by said cam into knitting position. The foot is then produced, during continued reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder, on the needle groups 3, 2 and 2', group 3 carrying the upper or instep part of the foot while groups 2 and 2' knit at sides of said upper part and the divided sole portion with selvage edges.

Knitting the heel pieces Referring again'to Bosworths Patent No. 1,459,497, it will be noted that in the stocking forms illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the heel portions are formed with floating yarns. The disadvantages incident thereto are well understood; and one purpose of my invention has been to provide a machine in which the heel pieces are knitted without producing floating yarns.

Accordingly, upon completion of the foot and instep-portion, the needles of group 3 upon which said instep portion has been knitted as above described, are shifted or raised to inoperative position but retain the last formed instep loops while the heel pieces are knitted. Meanwhile, .the needle 'grgups 2 and 2 at either side of group 3 continue in operation to knit the two heel pieces with narrowingtand widening, toform aheel when the edges of said heel pieces are later sewed together. Suitable means for automatically shifting the group 3 needles upwardly or into inoperative sition include the cam 14, Figwhichis spring pressed in wardly towards the needle cylinder 44 to .engage the lower butts w of said needles. Inasmuch as each reciprocation of the needle cylinder covers five-fourths revolutions or 450, it will be apparent that with cam 14 in 0per-- ative position, a single turn of the needle cylinder is sufiicient to engage and displace all of the group 3 needles .into inoperative position, whereupon said cam is retracted to moperative position.

To actuate the needle positioning cam 14, cam 54 on pattern drum 29 moves into .engagement with the lower end 62 of a lever 55, pivoted at a, F igure 8, which, through a notch in the side of a spring pres positioned overlapping portions.

link 57, lever 56, pivoted at 58 and. a lever 59, pivoted wedge shaped cam 63 on the -free end of'said lever 59 into engagement with a transverse sed slide rod 61 upon the inner'end of which the cam 14 is mounted. A. spring 114 cooperating with said rod 61 tends to press said cam normally toward needle butt engagin osition. The wedge or cam 54 is shaped an isposed to engage the end 62 of lever 55 to'hold cam 14 normally out of needle butt engagingposition and, when disengaged or withdrawn, to permit forward movement of cam 14 only for the purpose above described ,namely, to move the instep' needles out of knitting position in preparation for knitting the heel pieces.

Unless some special means were provided at this juncture to prevent it, the reciprocatory motion of the needle cylinder in the formation of the separated heel pieces would;

normally produce the undesirable floating yarns above referred to. To avoid-this, the

,two thread guides 48 and 48, Figure 11, are

and adapted to supply thread separately to the needle groups 2 and 2' while knitting the heel pieces. These thread guides 48 and-48' operate alternately by cooperating with oscillating levers 49 and 49' of different lengths and which are actuated by two cams in the form of ring sectors 51 and 52 secured at different heights on the usual sinker ring of the needle cylinder 44 and havin The longer of sai levers 49 and 49' is adapted to be engaged by the lower ring sector 52 while the shorter is adapted to be engaged by the upper ring sector 51, the arrangement being such that-when lever 49, for example, rides on its ring sector, itslower end moves outwardly and the upper end deflects the corresponding thread guide 48 to non-feedingpositipn, or in such a way that the thread carried thereby is not delivered to the needles as they pass. Thus, although both groups of needles pass both thread guides at each reciprocation, yarn is fed by each guide only .toone group and in such manner that no threads or yarns are fiogted. Thechanige from operation of one guide to operatlon of the other in each course occprs when the space 53, Figure 12, comes op 'poslte the. ta ls or lower ends of both levers 49 and 49". .And when both of said levers engage the overla ping portions of theirrespect1vecams,bot thread guides are out of actin. This occurs while needles 3 are passingliaid guides. v

e, knitting of the heel pocket, or rather of the heel pieces forming the heel pocket, involvesa narrowing operation followedby a wldenmg operation. For the narrowing, I

56a, another link I at 59a, deflects a provide two narrowing fingers 34 and'34,

igure 10 which are positioned and mounted to successively raise the required number of needles of each of groups 2 and 2' into inoperative position, beginning at the needles 6 and b respectively, Figure6. In this operation, the problem is to actuate the narrowing fingers in such a. manner that they operate during movement of the needle cylinder in the counter clockwise direction to engage a needle butt at point 6, without engaging a butt at the point a; and during movement in the opposite direction to engage a needle butt at point I) and not-at a.

Accordingly, the narrowing fingers are lift- I ed out of butt engaging position, Figure 11,

during each reciprocation of the needle cylinder when the needles at points a and-a respectively pass the fingers 34 and 34. This particular control of the movement of narrowing fingers 34 and 34is effected by means including cams 36 mounted on a cam disc 35 and cooperating with a cam roller or follower 47 mounted on a rod 43, one end of which is secured to a slide, bar 37 which is provided with notches 46 and 46 in its forward edge, i. e. toward the needle cylinder. During rotation of the cam disc 35, endwise sliding movement is imparted to the slide-bar. 37. As indicated in Figure 11, the slide bar 37 is positioned to engage and deflect levers 38 pivotally mounted at 38 and held in yielding engagement with the forward edge of said slide bar by springs 45. At the free ends of levers 38, I provide adjustable lugs 138,,the outer ends of which engage the tail pieces of the fingers 34 and'34' respectively.

Accordingly, while the cam follower 47 is riding on one of the cams 36, Figure 10, the free ends of'levers 38 engage the forward edge of slide bar 37 thus holding the lugs 138 in forward position and deflecting the fingers 34, 34 into the inoperative position mdicated in Figure 11. However, when, upon further rotation of the cam disc 35, the cam roller rides into the gap or depression betweenthe cams 36, the slide bar 37 is retracted endwise, thus permitting the free ends of the spring pressed levers 38 to defleet rearwardly into the notches 46 and 46', whereupon the fingers '34 and 34, by reason of the usual spring pressed actuating arrangement thereof are deflected downwardly or into operative needle butt engaging 'position or that in which the narrowing fingers effect narrowing beginning at the points 6 and b Figure 6. I

sequence during each reciprocating move-- ment of the needle cylinder 44. This operation is distinct and separate from a further control provided to arrest the intermittent deflection of the narrowing devices into and out of their normal operative position.

Obviously, the cams 36 are so proportioned and related, and the cam disc'35 is so For the latter purpose, the pattern or control drum 29, Fig. 24, is equipped with a wedge or cam 42, positioned to move under the lower end of a lever 40 which, through link 41 deflects the arm of lever 39 and thus moves the roller 47' which is mounted also on lever 39 to a position out of engagement with the cam 36 and the cam disc 35.

Widening of the heel pieces by widening fingers (6 hereinafter more particularly described in connection with knitting of the calf portiontakes place in the reverse order to that of the narrowing, and continues until the heel pieces are completed and the knitting agaln reaches the line of loops representing the last course of the instep, whereupon the ankle portion of the. knitted on groups 3, 2 and 2.

Knitting the ankle portion It will be recalled that just before beginning knitting of the heel pieces, the needles of group 3 were raised out of operative posi tion by cam 14 where they remained during the knitting of said heel pieces and with the last formed loops of the instep portion suspended on them. These needles 3 arenow returned to active knitting position by the cam 11' and the formation of the ankle or lowerleg portion on said needles and those of groups 2 and 2 continues with normal reciprocating movement of the needle cylinder until it becomes necessary to make changes for knitting of the calf portion.

Knitting the calf portion engaging position and intercept the butts of needles 1 to raise them into the position shown in Figure 4, or such that their butts pass above the cams 8 and 9 as well as above the working cams; It will be understood that the above described movement occurs because the butts of group 1 needlesare the longest;

and cam 12 is moved inwardly just enough to engage these butts, but notenough toen-. gage the butts of the remaining needles.

When the butts of needles 1 are raised as in Figure 4, they are in position to be engaged and acted upon by the widening finger 76 controlled and actuated in such a manner as to produce a gradual wideningin the formation of'the calf portion; In the previously described wideningof heel and toe portibns, widening finger 76 brought'twoneedlessimultaneouslyinto operative POSltlOll on each it side of the fabric in accordance' with well understood practice. 'Hfievenwhen knitting the calf of the stocking, it is desirable to widen more-gradually, so that only one needle is added at a time to the row of working needles on each side of the fabric. Thereafter, several courses of loops are knitted before another new needle is added. Accordingly, under some circumstances, it is desirable to add one needle i. e. when widening the calf, and under other circumstances it is gesilrable to add two, as when widening the I provide a single widening finger 76 adapted for adding either one needleor two needles at will. For this purpose, and as indicated in Figures 18 and 22, the butt engaging portion of said'widening finger 76, instead of presenting the usual uniform surface'of known forms of fingers, is provided with portions or steps 74 and 75 of different size, Figure 22. The ste 74 is of a shape and size adapted to the wi ening requirements .of the heel and toe,'or in other words, such that two needle butts are engaged by the finger. However, the very high butts of needles 1 for knitting the edges of the calf portion, as above indicated, do not engage the surface of step 74 but ride only upon the surface or step 75 which is so small that only one needle butt can be operatively engaged thereby. In this manner, a single needle of group 1 is displaced at each widening operation on needles 1 in the formation of the calf portion by the same finger 76 as is utilized in the regular widening of the toe and heel.

To ermit the more gradual widening of the ca f portion, that is, by adding one needle of group 1 and then knitting. several courses without adding a needle, I provide a special widening finger control mechanism ada ted to' be operated at or during knitting o the calf. As indicated in Figures 13 and 14, the finger 76 is mounted in the path of a lever arm 81 adapted to be deflected eriodically by suitable means including cams 7 mounted on the cam disc 35. A cam follower or roller 78 e is positioned to engage said cams and the spaces between said cams, thus imparting rocking motion to a lever 79 which is in turn imparted through a link 80 to the lever 81. In accordance with this arrangement, the parts are so timed that the widening finger 76 is deflected out of operative position in relationto the needle butts of needles in group 1 over any predetermined number of courses,

during which period the'reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder continues and nor mal knitting is eifected without addition of needles to the batting row. The. inoperative position of finger 76 is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 13 just below the operative position, shown in full lines.

It has been previously noted thatthe'needle cylinder of my improved machine is arranged to execute reciprocating movement with an over-run of approximately 90 in each direcright,

tion. When knitting of the stocking reaches the point or course where the needles in group 1 are required to function, as in knitting the calf portion, I provide means to avoid the repeated engagement of the working cams with the needles 1 during each reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder, as by displac- 18, pivotally mounted on said slides are actuated by levers 19 and 19, respectively, pivoted at d and (1, respectively, on said slides 17 and 17 Links 20 and 21', respectively, each having a slot near one end, operatively connect said levers 19 and 19' with the lifters 18 and 18, respectively. A cam 16, Figures 5 and 17, mountedon the needle cylinder approximately below the middle -needle of group 1, moves with the cylinder, and in so doing, engages levers 19 and 19 in both directions of movement of said cylinder.

In operation, when the needle cylinder rotates to the left, cam 16 strikes the side 7 of lever 19 which is fleets the arm 67' which transmits endwise movement to link 20 and thence to the needle lifter 18. This is timed to occur when the leading needle of group 1, during the overrun of each cylinder oscillation, reaches the path of. the lifter which thereupon deflects said needle and the following needles in group 1 to inoperative position above the working cam 7 so that they do not work, i. e. engage the working cams a second time, in that course.

When the lifter 18 reaches its operative or raised position, Figure 5, a detent at the end of a spring 21 engages a notch n in the tail of the lifter to hold it there until reverse oscillation of the needlecylinder causes disengagement of said spring from the notch n. The parts now occupy the relative positions shown in Figure '5. 'When the needle cylinderreverses, i. e. rotates toward the ri ht, the needles of group 1, previously raisef by the lifter 18 in the last 90 of rotation, are lowered by the cam 8 into operative position to normally engage the knitting cams, and cam 16' engages the lever 19 from the side 72. and, through link 20 moves the needle lifter 18 down to its lowest or inoperative position. Thereafter when the needle cylinder has moved through a whole revolution to the the cam 16 strikes the depending lever 19 from the side f so that the following needlesof group 1 during the last quarter revolution are again raised above the working cam 7 as previously stated Upon the next deflected and in turn de movement of rotation of the needle cylinder toward the left, the lifted needles are low- 'ered into the working position by the cam 9.

17 are controlled as shown more clearly in of the calf portion. Upon completion thereof, and for the purpose of Withdrawing said slide and the needle lifters 18 and 18, from operative position, I provide suitable slide actuating mechanism cooperating with drum 29 and including a wedge or cam 64: mounted thereon and positioned to-engage the lower end 66'of lever 65, the outer end of which moves the link 67 and thereby lever 68 secured on a rock shaft 72 journaled in bearings 70. The outer end of shaft 72, Figure 16, carries a lever 69, the upper or free end of which pulls against an extension or abutment 71 of the slide 17 and moves the latter outwardly to inoperative position against, tension of spring 73 which tends normally tion of the needle cylinder is discontinued,

and circular motion thereof begins and continues over the predetermined number of courses required to form the upper leg portion of the stocking, this 0 'eration being in no wise different from regu ar circular knitting.

As will be well understood, the last circular course may be knocked over, thus completing the stockin blank; or, a portion thereof may be knoc ed over and a succeed" ing stocking blank maybestarted' as a con-- tinuation of the fabric of the preceding stocking just completed. This being the preferred method, I will now describe the changes whereby the transition is made from the completed stocking to the beginning of the toe portion of a new stocking in the manner previously described.

Upon completion of the last course of circular knitting, cam 10, Figure 1, is pushed in sufficiently to engage the. butts ofneedles 1, namely, those withthe high butts. These needles are moved downwardly out of lmit-' ting or operative position; but needles 2, 2' and 3 would still continue to knit except that cam 12 is now pushed inwardly toward the needle cylinder to engage the butts of needles 2 and 2' whereby the latter are displaced to the position shown in Figure 2, namely, abovethe knitting cams 4, '5, 6 and 7 The needles are now arranged so that only those of group 3 remain with their .butts in position to'engage the knitting cams to knit the toe portion during reciprocating motion of the needle cylinder and in the manner previously described. Thereupon, the previously described operations are repeated to produce the next complete stocking blank, and as many thereof as may be required. 1

1 claim 1. A circular knitting machine for producing a complete stocking, comprising in combination a rotatable needle bed, needles in said needle bed arranged in several groups, the heels .of said needles being of different heights according to the group to which the needles belong, means for'making said needle bed execute alternately an oscillating and a circular movement in accordance with the desired manner of knitting, cams for'opcrating the heels of the different needles, a regulating drum, wedges on said drum, levers and links for operating said cams from said drum, two slides, and two oscillatable needle lifters oscillating in accordance with the speed at which the circumference of said needle bed rotates, and means for adjusting said slides radially to said needle bed to bring into the operative position those needles which at the oscillating movement the heels of said needl s being of different heights according to the group to which the needles belong, meansfor making saidneedle bed execute alternately an oscillating and a circular movement in" accordance with the desired manner of knitting, cams for operating the heels of the different needles, a regulating drum, wedges on said drum, levers and links for operating said cams from said drum, two slides, and two oscillatable needle lifters oscillating in accordance with the speed at which the circumference of said needle bed rotates, and means for adjusting said slides radially to said needle bed to bring into the operative position. those needles which at the oscillating movement of the needle bed at the knitting of the calf would come twic'einto the range of the working cam, and a double widening finger of such construction that at the increasing of the 7 number of operative needles in too and heel two needles at a time are brought into the working position by said widening finger lap whilst atthe knitting of the calfonly one needle is brought into the working position by the same widening finger.

' 3, A circular knitting machinefor producing a complete stocking, comprising in combination a rotatable needle bed, needles in said needle bed arranged in several groups, the heels of said needles being of different heights according to the grou to which the needles belong, means for ma ing said needle bed execute alternately an oscillating and a circular movement in accordance with the desired manner of knitting, cams for operating the heels of the different needles, a regulating drum, wedges on said drum, levers and links for operating said cams from said drum, two slides, and two oscillatable needle lifters oscillating in accordance with the speed at which the circumference of said needle bed rotates, and means for adjusting said slides radially to said needle bed 'to bring into the operative position those needles which at the oscillating movement of the needle bed at the knitting of the calf would come twice into the range of the working cam, and a double widening finger of such construction that at the increasingof the number of operative needles in toe and heel two needles at a time are brought into the working position by said widening finger whilst at the knitting of the calf only one needle is brought into the working position by the same widening finger, and means for bringing said widening finger periodically into ast-173 whilst at the knitting of the calf only one needle is brought intovthe working position by the same widening finger, and means for brin 'ng said widening finger periodically into t e noperative position so that after every four rows it brings one needle at each side of the first needle group into the working position, and means for bringing a smallnumber of said needles of the rst group by said working cam into the working position at the knitting of the calf.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' CURT HILSGHER.

the inoperative position so that after every four rows it brings one needle at each side of the first needle group into the working osition.

4. A circular knitting machine for producing a complete stocking, comprising in'combination a rotatable needle b'ed, needles in said needle bed arran ed in several 'groups, the heels of said nee les being of difierent .heights according to. the group to which the needles belong, means'for making said needle bed execute alternately an oscillating and ,a circular movement in accordance with the desired manner of knitting, cams for operating the heels of the different needles,ia regulating drum, wedges on said drum, levers and links for-operating said cams from said drum, two slides, and two oscillatable needle lifters oscillating in accordance with the speed at which the circumference of said nee- .dle bed rotates, and means for adjusting said slides radially to said needle bed to bring into the operative position, those needles which at the oscillating movement of the needle bed at the" knitting of the calfi would come twice into the range of the working. cam, and a double widening finger of such construction that at the increasing of the number of operative needles in toe and heel two needlesat'a time are brought into the working "position by said widening finger 

